Get to know ‘Perseverance’ before it launches

On July 30, NASA will be sending a rover named Perseverance to Mars to look for signs of ancient life and to bring back rock and soil samples to Earth. Before the launch, tune in for special episodes of “Catalyst” that focuses on the mission and other space exploration. The back-to-back episodes will air on Wednesday, July 29 at 7 p.m.

“Eyes on Mars”

When the next rover lands on Mars, most of the pictures it sends back will be taken by cameras designed at Arizona State University. For the first time, a rover will give us a 3-D view of features on the red planet, thanks to cameras that let us see in stereo.

“Looking for Signs that Point to Life”

Planets orbit faraway stars – could some of those planets have the right recipe for supporting life? Plus, we’ll look for water on the moon: what is the mission to find that water, and why it matters for getting us to Mars and beyond.

MORE: Take a behind-the-scenes look at “Catalyst.”